Pots in these visually appealing materials come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Cheap, thin terracotta containers tend to chip and crack easily and are susceptible to cold and frost damage. Some suppliers of quality terracotta containers offer ‘frost-proof’ guarantees. Clay pots are porous, drawing moisture from the compost, so it dries out more quickly. Glazed ceramic and terracotta containers suffer less evaporation so your compost won’t dry out as fast.
They’re good at retaining heat, which is useful in winter, but the compost can get very hot in a summer suntrap.
Whichford Pottery RHS Wisley Gardener’s Pot £29.95-£578 10-year frost-proof guarantee; W26xH24cm to W65xH62cm
Woodlodge Products Buttermere Slate Mix
£24.99-£49.99 Earthenware; Square and Egg; W25xH21cm to W40xH33cm
Apta RHS Glazed Cylinder
£19.99 10-year frost-proof guarantee; glazed terracotta; W29xH23cm
World of Pots Tuscan Giant £39-£350 Frost-resistant terracotta; W50xH40cm to W95xH75cm
The Terracotta Pot Company Thrapsano Cretan Planter £82-£148 50-year frostproof guarantee; W30xH30cm to W40xH55cm
Woodlodge Products William Morris Pot £9.99-£34.99 Glazed pottery; W16xH16cm to W30xH29cm
Woodlodge Products Aladdin Pot £6.99-£44.99 Frost resistant; W21xH16cm to W59xH47cm
Taylor Made Planters Exara from £54.99 50-year frostproof guarantee; W30xH30cm to W80xH75cm